Improvement in bee-hives



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JOSEPH A. PADDooK AND JEREMIAH s. Es'rEPi or cAss ILLINols.

COUNTY,

Letters Patent No. 92,348, dated July 6, 1'869.

.IMPRIovEMBNT IN Brin-arves.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOSEPH A. PADDOGK and J EREMIAH S. EsTEP, of the county of Cass, and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Bee-Hives; and do h ereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which like letters of refer lence refer to like parts, and in which- Figure l represents a perspective view.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal elevation.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section.l Figure 4 is a view of adjustable brace.

This frame has for its object to receive honey-comb in pieces of any size, at pleasure.

The brace being beneath the inserted combs, is kept against them by elastic bands, until the bees' have fixed the combs, when the brace is removed, and the bees suffered to fill the balance of the frame; and when full of comb, the honey can be removed, and fresh comb replaced in the same manner.

l This frame A-A B D is made as follows:

A wooden bar, B, fourteen inches long, one inch wide, and three-eighths of an inch deep, forms the top of the frame, aA V-shaped ridge, or guide, a a, projecting along the centre of the under sideof the bar, three orfour sharp wires, i'. t t', being inserted in this ridge, to help-to hold the comb.

This bar is supported by two vertical ones, A A, forming the sides, about ten inches high and of simi-l lar thickness `as the top one, joining and fastened to the latter, so as to leave three-fourths of an inch of either end of the bar projectingbeyond each of the 'upright bars, the V-shaped ridge, or guide a a being continued down the inside of each bar, to within onehalf an inch of the cross-bar D, at thebottom.

This cross-bar D is dovetailed, or fastened, in any secure way, to the vertical bars, and has no projecting ends. v

The bar O, called the adjustable brace, is of the saine shape and size as t-he other bars, but without the V-shaped edge, but may have short wires, for retaining the comb. f Y

The ends of this brace O are notched, to fit and slide up or down the V-shaped guides a a a.

On each side ofthe frame are two elasticbands, or equivalent devices, g y, secured to theledges of one side of this bar, and then passing over the top bar of the frame, and coming down again to the brace, is retained, by a knot, in a slot, o1' sawcut,bb,in the edge of the other side of the brace, thus holding the latter, C, in a horizontal position against the under edges of the comb .E E, when they are inserted.

The knots' can be made at any point, to accommodate thewidth of the inserted comb. 4

Near the centre of the frame is. placed one or more short tubes]t, of tin or other material, to preserve'a passage through the comb, for egress, regress, and ventilation.

When a series of these frames and combs is set up, these passages form an easy communication through the hive, and distribute warmth therein.

This passage may be one and a half inch highby one-half an inch across, the length of the tube h being equal to the width of the frame, or comb.

This tube is confined by wires k 7c, carried to the top bar and bottom bar .of frame, one wire passing through a slot, c, cut in the adjustable brace O, so as not to interfere with the adjustment of the latter.

A series of these frames, iilled with comb, are set in the ordinary manner, side by side, in square hives, at about one-half an inch apart, the ends of the top bars resting in a rabbet at the top of the hive.A

We make two boxes, with parallel sides, each twelve inches high, and fourteen by sixteen inches square, with bottoms and movable top to each, one set on the other, by means of a rabbet, the entrances for bees being at base of narrowest sides.

The frames are set in the longest diameter of the boxes, the ends resting on a ledge, or rabbet, in top of each box, thus bringing the ends toward the side in which entrance is made for bees. Y

The frames are set one-half an inch apart all throng the hives.

The operation of this device is'v as follows:l

Comb E, of any size, is inserted,'large or small, in the upper part of frame A B A, which is retained there by bringing upthe adjustable brace O, and passing-*the elastic' string g over the 'top bar B, and.

slipping a knot on the same, beneath the saw-cut?) b, y

inthe brace.

When the bees have fastened the comb tothe frame, the brace is removed, and the bees allowed to fill ,the

remainder of the space in the frame, the V-shaped guides a a. a controlling the location of the base of the new cells, atAor near that ridge, keeping the cells, or comb in a uniform plane and thickness.

When the frame is lled and stored, it can be removed, and fresh comb inserted in the same manner;

and this substituting-process can be repeated, eithery 2. The combination of the adjustable brace O with the triangular guides a a, as described :md represented. i

In testimony that we claim the foregoing improvement in bee-hives, we hereunto set our hands, this 5th Vday of March, 1869.

JOSEPH A. PADDOCK. JEREMIAH ESTEP. Witnesses:

N. S. READ, LEVI MCKEE. 

